I love a great spice cookie in the fall. These are some of our favorite.

We sandwich lemon cream cheese frosting between them to give them a great sweet bite to contrast with the sharp spice. They have become a favorite fall treat that we usually start making at the first hint of the leaves turning. Next up, time to start baking with pumpkin! —

Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup blackstrap molasses

2 ¼ t. baking soda

1 t. kosher salt

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. cloves

1 t. ground ginger

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

3 ½ cup all-purpose flour

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of 1 Meyer lemon

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.3. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the baking soda, salt, molasses, spices and pepper. Mix well until everything is completely combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.4. Sift the flour into the batter, mixing only until the flour is not visible anymore. Do not overbeat.5. Roll the dough into 1 ½″ round balls with your hands and roll in the sanding sugar. Place on a cookie sheet 2″ apart and bake for 11-13 minutes, or until cookies are slightly puffy and slightly darker in color. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

For the Frosting:1. Mix butter and cream cheese until completely combined. Then, sift in the confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest. Pour in the vanilla and mix until frosting is completely combined and totally smooth.

To make the cookies: Once the cookies have completely cooled add a little bit of frosting to the underside of one and sandwich a second one on top!

Kelsey Banfield, The Naptime Chef, believes parents don't have to give up being foodies just because they have kids. Kelsey's website features webisodes, recipes and ideas on how to fit delicious food into everyday life, without compromising quality or taste. Kelsey is also the author of the newly published cookbook, The Naptime Chef Fitting Great Food Into Family Life.